The Sisters (2005)

The Spewers

This is not a movie; it is a rant. This is not a family; it is a cabal. There are no people in this movie; there are only predators. There is no dialogue here; there is only bile.

Less watchable than pornography (which at least may have attractive flesh) or gore (which may at least have clever invention), this is just undammed hatred. July 30, 2008

Sludge

The Sisters

Well, maybe you have to live in New York to enjoy this. I was afraid there'd be nothing but glowing reviews here. So I'm prepared for a flurry of unhelpful votes. But I found these characters among the most repellent, coarse, insufferable, unpleasant, and foolish people I've had the misfortune to spend two hours with. No one other than the maligned shop girl has a thought for anyone or anything but themselves. These are totally self-absorbed, self-referential, self-contained, self-deluding, self-pitying (and any other self-hyphens you want to include) boors without a trace of anything approaching humanity.

You know that person who feels it is their duty to speak the truth, no matter how rude, hurtful, unpleasant, quite possibly inaccurate, it might be? Well, imagine spending a few hours with people who sharpen their claws on the backbones of their friends and family members. Even clever insults are still insults, and I prefer not to watch anyone do this. To what point?

We needn't worry about how this is related to the Chekhov masterpiece. We need only to evaluate this film. And it is just dreadful. From wooden, stilted speeches delivered in a manner that substitutes volume changes for emotion, to a ridiculous little interlude of love making that accomplishes nothing but titillation, to the obligatory Southern incest, and concluding with a phony and unbelievable climax that felt right off a soap opera, this tale is Oprah meets Jerry Springer. There's plenty to dislike here, the quasi-pop psychology, the irritating phony come-and-go accent, the dramatic camera shots designed, I suppose, to look important but that come off as trite, the "don't these people have jobs?" thought that ran through my mind as they whiled away the hours demeaning each other, and the glib and silly conclusion. Folks who read the Internet blogs where hate and snobbery and condescension reign may like more of that bile in their off hours, but I'd rather leave these people and go far, far away. April 18, 2008

Does Chekov credit

This film is terrifically well done. Yes, it's a bit stagey but I liked that. The dialog harks back to the 19th Century, especially in the beginning when the denisons of the Faculty Lounge sparred with each other, over chess and the newspaper. I think the director struck just the right balance of honoring Chekov and serving a modern audience. The performances are perfect. Maria Bello surely deserves an Oscar for this one! How rare to find so much talent so beautifully packaged. The story is dense and complicated as are the characters. There's lots of intensely emotional stuff going on, which could be confusing or overwhelming or exhausting. But it's all done so well that I was carried smoothly through each moment, up to the satisfying conclusion.
The character of Marcia, played so amazingly by Bello, is the center of the tornado. We hate her, love her, empathize for her and are repelled by her. The outsider, Nancy, is her personal nemesis, and one has to wonder just why Marcia hates her so much, since Marcia is anything but a petty person. Her complaints dwell on class but I think it has more to do with her obvious sexuality which mirrors Marcia's own. Nancy accepts (flaunts) hers while Marcia's sexuality is obviously much more problemmatic. In the end, it seems that Nancy is the real winner, even as she gives up her goal of being one of the sisters. (It's always a treat
to see Rip Torn.) This is a rich, satisfying film. Enjoy it with friends as it will give you a lot to talk about! January 2, 2007

After slow beginning, 3 stars build intensity & drama...

It took 15-20 minutes to catch onto the dramatic intensity but three sisters and an obnoxious chess scene with David and Gary convinced me to stay with the Chekhov Story! So much of that dysfunctional family unfolds scene by scene it takes a good while to really grab one with its' full meaning and intensity. Ironically, the chess scene stayed to be the only recurrence for my late night's creative dream. Of course, Hollywood must insert sexual intensity between Marci and the returning hero from their past! All-in-all it took over half the toal length to convince me, that I needed to see if my expected ending may turn out to be fulfilled. Retired Chaplain Fred W. Hood November 22, 2006

One of the best independent films in years!

The Sisters, with its stellar cast & spectacular script, sizzles with sex appeal, rich dialogue, and an incredible story of the sometimes difficult bond we often share with family.
The director of this film, Arthur Allan Seidelman, rounded himself up a star-studded bunch -- although I'm sure actors were just begging to wrap their heads around the dynamic script by Richard Alfieri.
I just can't imagine any director or any script having the capability of gathering such a cast -- and this is an independent film, so they surely weren't working for the money.
Fans of Will & Grace will be thrilled to see Eric McCormack's complete 180' -- I've never seen him like this before. Tony Goldwyn oozes masculine sex appeal while Maria Bello lights up the screen with her golden locks and fixating stares. She's pure beauty.
The Sisters was definitely one of the best independent film of the past few years. October 24, 2006

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